Jan. 11, 2012

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EASTON, Pa. - Nineteen points on five three-pointers, both career-high's from Rob Delaney led Lafayette to a comfortable 75-63 victory over Army on Wednesday night at Kirby Sports Center. The win improved Lafayette to 2-0 in Patriot League play for the second time in the last three seasons.

Ryan Willen scored 13 and Levi Giese added 10 for the Leopards who were 14-of-25 from beyond the arc in the win. It marked the ninth time this season that Lafayette has hit for 10 or more three-pointers.

Making his first appearance of the season, Tony Johnson made an impact on his first offensive possession off the bench. The junior guard received a hand-off from Delaney, took a dribble to his right and passed back across his body for an open Nick Petkovich three-pointer, giving Lafayette (7-10, 2-0) an 11-4 advantage. Johnson, who missed the Leopards' first 16 games with a back injury, finished the game with three points and four assists in 20 minutes.

With 12:40 showing on the first half clock, Lafayette took a 20-11 lead on Delaney's third triple of the half. Lafayette opened the contest perfect on its first six attempts from beyond the arc. After an Army bucket and Dan Trist's wide open layup, Army (7-10, 0-2) scored the next nine points to pull within two (22-20) with 8:17 to play in the half. Willen halted the spurt with a turnaround in the low block and Levi Giese's two-handed flush put Lafayette ahead 26-20 at 5:34.

The half ended with 25 combined turnovers between the teams, 13 for Lafayette, including Johnson's steal and scoop layup as time expired, giving Lafayette a 36-28 lead at the break.

Lafayette scored the first four points of the second half on a baseline drive by Jim Mower and a Hinrichs pull-up jumper to extend the lead to 12. Army then responded with a 7-0 spurt, cutting the deficit to 40-35 at 17:32 before Delaney connected on another three to end the Black Knights' run.

Joey Ptasinski's corner three extended the Leopards' lead to 47-35. Delaney's fifth longball made it 50-38 before the teams traded points for a three-minute stretch around the midway point of the second half.

A pair of threes from Mower and Petkovich surrounding Julian Simmons transition lay-in, pushed the lead to 62-47 with 7:14 remaining. Five straight points from Giese, a baseline jumper and a straightaway three, gave Lafayette its largest lead of the night at 67-49.

A free throw and layup from Ella Ellis and a Simmons three pulled the visitors within 11 with 3:05 to play, but Army wouldn't get any closer as Giese drilled a trey of his own to put the game out of reach. Ellis led Army with 18 points, while Simmons scored 12.

Lafayette returns to the court on Saturday at 1 p.m. when it hosts Bucknell in a rematch of last season's Patriot League Championship.

NOTES: Eleven of Lafayette's 13 players scored a basket on Wednesday.